The Chennai Port Trust is to convert the Jawahar Dock (East) berth into a small container terminal to handle around 8,00,000 twenty foot equivalent units (TEUs) a year. The berth was used to handle coal till a few years back, but has been lying unused after coal handling was shifted to Ennore port. The port’s proposal for a Rs 4,200-crore mega container terminal failed to attract good response from potential bidders recently.
The new terminal will compete with the two existing container terminal operated by DP World Chennai and Chennai International Terminals of the Port of Singapore Authority.
The Port Trust mulls to give the JD East berth to a private player on a 30-year concession on design, build, finance, operate and transfer basis. Three months ago, the Port Trust had plans to continue handling bulk products at the JD East berth.
In recent months, the Port Trust had plans to continue handling bulk products at the JD East berth. It also invited proposals for this from financial consultants and transaction advisors for a Rs 275-crore project through Public Private Partnership on Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer.
But, the plan was changed in favour of a container terminal as the consultant, Jacobs Engineering India, felt the port may not be able to attract bulk cargo, said the Port Trust Chairman, Atulya Mishra.
The board, too, approved the proposals in its last meeting.
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